Police have strongly condemned illegal dumping of cars after an abandoned vehicle was believed to have contributed to the severity of this week’s Richmond Vale fire.

Police are making inquiries in relation to the illegal disposal of a car in bushland, which was found in the line of fire.

The fire is still under active investigation. Police are working with arson investigators to identify the cause and origin of the blaze, which broke out on Tuesday, and are appealing to the public for information.

Firefighters were trying to contain the fire on Wednesday morning, when an increase in wind caused the blaze to pick up and expand.